


the warm tiles of this new path wrapped in vines of regret

by evanescentdawn



Series: IruObi [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Guilt, Hopeful Ending, I HAVE SO MUCH FEELS, Implied Time Travel, M/M, Pining, Regret, only it’s not implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29071656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evanescentdawn/pseuds/evanescentdawn
Summary: Obito is too full of regrets and guilt, hands holding too much innocent blood. He isn’t supposed to be allowed to feel happiness, warmth after all the misery and tragedy he caused.It’s hard to resist the pull of Iruka, though. He finds doesn’t want to, either, no matter how wrong it is.
Relationships: Uchiha Obito/Umino Iruka
Series: IruObi [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2132916
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	the warm tiles of this new path wrapped in vines of regret

There is too much blood on his hands. _Innocent_ blood, and Kushina’s scream ringing too close to his ears. He can hear them, so clearly, as if it happened yesterday, and can’t bring himself to look Iruka straight in the eye. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t exactly him who dealt the final blow—he had released the nine tails knowing full well the consequences but just hadn’t cared. Thought that red moon plan would wipe it all, making it as if it happened. As if that would erase what he did.

His side itches, and his heart aches and all he wants is to— _repent_. Not forgiveness. His sins are too large, too big for that. 

Now, that the anger is more dull, the guilt, the whispers that he’s been trying to ignore are back in full. Guilt, guilt, and Obito can’t _breath_. Being back to a place where they haven’t happen yet, haven't lessened them. Instead, it made them all the more heavy. 

Iruka smiling at him isn’t not helping.

Kindness, where Obito doesn’t deserve it. It’s fair not to him, not when Obito can remember with clarity the fierce expression twisted anger, those eyes burning at him with hatred and a promise of revenge. This Iruka doesn’t remember—doesn’t know what Obito has done, and the smile on Obito’s face is tight, hard to keep. _I’m so sorry,_ he wants to say. Cry and beg, and cry and _take it all back_. But he can’t, only be so fucking sorry.

Sorry isn’t going back to the dead, though. Isn’t going to wash away his sins.

“Thank you,” Iruka says, eyes curved into something grateful and gentle, that he doesn’t deserve at all.

If he _knew_ —Obito swallows the thought away. He flashes a smile, slips on a mask and it’s easy this way, with the past locked behind his mind. To pretend he isn’t drowning in red. “Don’t mind it, I know what a handful Bakashi can be.” He returns.

Iruka laughs, and it’s beautiful. Obito blanches because he isn’t supposed to think that. Isn’t suppose to allow him to feel that warmth, not when—

“Yeah, he is. I’m glad you’re back. Kakashi’s been more—happy.”

Obito’s stomach twists and pulls, he slightly turns away. Breathes in, breathes out through the thread of unpleasant emotions.

It wasn’t calculated, he was raw from the war he just left and half-dead. And dropped in front of Kakashi, and punched him because _fuck you, you selfless idiot_ while crying a lot. Then, realised what he was doing.

He keeps quiet, not sure how to respond to that. The silent stretches, heavy and thick, the air dipping into something awkward between them but Obito can’t say anything. His mouth is dry. (His traitorous mind whispers something that is like, _I_ _am glad to be here, too._ Despite everything.)

“Me too,” He manages out, in the end, so quiet. Doesn’t have the courage to look at Iruka’s face, though.

He peaks a glance, anyway. His heart races at the open, sweet smile and the kindness. He did expect—this thing. Felt too broken after Rin, and Kakashi to even begin to fathom. Then, out of nowhere, startlingly, Iruka came into his life. It aches but despite it, he _wants_. Desperately, and raw and it’s wrong but—Obito can’t _stop_. (Doesn’t want to.)

When Iruka says then, hesitant, a hint of blush on his cheeks, “I—If you have some time....wanna go for some ramen?”

The reply is automatic. “Yes, would love to,” Obito says, and _curses_.

Iruka’s blinding beam makes it hard to regret that too, though.

(And he thinks, privately, _maybe_ , too helplessly to resist the pull that is Umino Iruka.)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow okay, I never saw myself going back into Naruto. So that was a surprise AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FIC. Time travel? Iruobi? Completely did not see that. This was just suppose to a super short angsty fic about Obito but. Uh. Iruka came out of nowhere???
> 
> Anyways, I have EMOTIONS TT
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading! You’re awesome! ♥️♥️♥️♥️


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